SELECTIVELY SENDING NOTIFICATIONS WHEN AN OBJECT TRACKING DEVICE IS OUTSIDE A RANGE OF AN ANCHOR BEACON

• US 20080143516A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mock, Von A., Eaton, Eric T., Hayes, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,705,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method of tracking objects. In the method, an anchor beacon can emit a broadcast over a range that is detectable by an object tracking device. The object tracking device can automatically detect a presence or absence of the broadcast. When the broadcast is present; the object tracking device can take no action. When the broadcast is absent, the object tracking device can determine a current location for the object tracking device and can convey an OTA communication to a tracking server. The OTA communication can indicate the absence of the broadcast and can also including the current location. The tracking server can selectively send a notification to a previously designated communication device to notify a user that the object tracking device is outside the range.

Claims

1. System for tracking objects comprising:

at least one anchor beacon configured to broadcast a signal over a designated range;

at least one object tracking device comprising a beacon sensor configured to detect the signal broadcast by the beacon, the tracking device also comprising a location detector and a wireless transceiver; and

a tracking server configured to automatically receive a message via the wireless transceiver that is automatically sent from the object racking device when the beacon sensor is unable to detect the signal broadcast by the beacon, wherein the message includes a location of the object tracking device, and wherein messages providing updated location information concerning the object tracking device are repetitively received by the tracking server while the beacon sensor is unable to detect the signal broadcast.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one notification device registered with the tracking server, wherein tracking server is configured to selectively convey notifications to each of the notification devices, said notifications indicating a current location of the object tracking device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one notification device is a mobile telephone device having location detection capabilities, wherein the tracking server is configured to guide a user of the mobile telephone device to the object tracking device whenever the beacon sensor is unable to detect the signal broadcast.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

at least one safe device registered with the tracking server, wherein the tracking server is configured to determine whether any of the registered safe devices are proximate to the object tracking device, wherein the selective conveying of the notifications is based upon whether the tracking server determines that a registered safe device is proximate to the object tracking device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the location tracking object is attached to a pet, and wherein the system is used to monitor a location of the pet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one anchor beacon is a plurality of anchor beacons, wherein at least one of the plurality has a user configurable range, and wherein at least one of the plurality is a mobile anchor beacon.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said steps of claim 1 are performed by at least one machine in accordance with at least one computer program having a plurality of code sections stored within a machine readable memory accessible by the at least one machine, said code sections being executable by the at least one machine.

2. The system of claim L further comprising;

the tracking server being configured to issue over the air commands to the location tracking device, at least one of the commands being a location reporting interval command, wherein receipt of the location reporting interval command causes the object tracking device to adjust a location measurement interval for which the location detector determines a location and for which the wireless transceiver conveys the determined location to the tracking server.

8. A method for associating beacons with location tracking devices comprising:

broadcasting a signal from at least one anchor beacon over a range;

an object tracking device attached to a movable object selectively detecting the signal;

when no signal is detected during the selectively detecting step, determining a location of the object tracking device;

conveying the determined location to a remotely located tracking server;

the tracking server selectively conveying a notification to at least one previously designated communication device to notify a user that the object tracking device is outside the range; and

repeating the determining step, and the conveying steps until a safe state is determined, wherein the determination of said safe state results from an occurrence of an event selected from a group of events consisting of an event where the object tracking device detects the signal, an event where the object tracking device detects a different signal broadcast from a different authorized anchor beacon, an event where the tracking server conveys an over the air command to the object tracking device that indicates a safe state, an event where the object tracking device detects a presence of a proximately located safe device, and an event where the object tracking device receives an approved signal from a proximately located safe device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

registering a plurality of safe devices with the tracking server;

detecting whether any of the safe devices is within a predetermined range of the object tracking device; and

the tracking server conveying the notification only when the object tracking device is not within the previously designated range of any registered safe device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the tracking server conveying an over the air command to the object tracking device; and

the object tracking device performing at least one programmatic action responsive to receiving the command, wherein the over the air command is at least one command selected from a group of commands consisting of a command to control a frequency with which the object tracking device conveys location update information, a command causing the object tracking device to listen for the signal, a command causing the object tracking device to detect a presence of at least one safe device, and a command to enter the safe state.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the movable object is a living entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the movable object is a pet.

14. A device tracking and location reporting method comprising:

identifying a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

automatically determining whether the first mobile device is within a designated range of the second mobile device; and

when not within the designated range;

the first mobile device wirelessly transmitting its location to a tracking server; and

said tracking server conveying a message including the location to a previously designated notification device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the notification device is the second mobile device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first mobile device repeats the transmitting step, and wherein the tracking server repeats the conveying step to guide a user of the second mobile device to a location of the first mobile device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second mobile device is an anchor beacon that broadcasts a signal, wherein the first mobile device is a tracking device including a beacon sensor, and wherein the designated range is based upon a quality of the signal detected by the beacon sensor.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device each include a location detection mechanism and a wireless transceiver, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device repetitively inform the tracking server of their current location, and wherein the tracking server uses this information to performing the determining step.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying a third mobile device;

detecting whether the first mobile device is within a designated range of the third mobile device, wherein the transmitting and conveying steps are only performed when the first mobile device is outside both designated ranges.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second mobile device is an anchor beacon that broadcasts a signal, wherein the first mobile device is a tracking device including a beacon sensor, wherein the designated range is based upon a quality of the signal detected by the beacon sensor, wherein the third mobile device is a mobile phone having a location detection mechanism, said method further comprising:

the tracking server receiving location information from the tracking device and from the mobile device and using this information to determine if the devices are within the designated range of each other.